Broomstick, A Portable Vacuum Cleaner

ABSTRACT

A portable vacuum cleaner is provided that is simple in construction and easy to use. The vacuum cleaner is comprised of a housing storing a rechargeable battery, motor, impeller fan, collection chamber, and at least one filter element. The battery and filter elements can be easily removed and replaced. The collection chamber can be easily removed for washing and repositioned in the housing. The vacuum cleaner can be easily charged and stored when not in use. The length of the vacuum cleaner can be extended by removably attaching one or more extension tube sections to the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner is provided with separate attachments for use in multiple purposes. The vacuum cleaner is lightweight. The vacuum cleaner can also be provided with belt clips for being easily carried.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of Invention

The present invention generally relates to a portable vacuum cleaner.More particularly, the present invention relates to “portable vacuumcleaner that is simple in construction, easy to use, maintain, andstore, can be easily recharged, and includes multiple attachments formultiple purposes”.

(2) Background of Invention

Portable vacuum cleaners are popular today for cleaning a variety ofsurfaces in homes, offices, and vehicles. These vacuum cleaners arespecifically useful to clean hard to reach surfaces. Furthermore,because larger vacuum cleaners are difficult to handle and operate,portable vacuum cleaners are effective in performing small cleaningtasks. Hence, many types of portable vacuum cleaners are developed. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,624 A, issued to The Black And DeckerManufacturing Company on Mar. 15, 1977, discloses a battery operatedvacuum cleaner that includes a motor, fan, filter, and dirt receptacle.Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,234 A, issued to The Scott & FetzerCompany on Mar. 4, 1986, discloses a battery operated hand-held vacuumcleaner that is rechargeable and is provided with a wall mounted storageand charging means. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,395 B2, issued to G.B.D.Corp. on Apr. 8, 2014, discloses a portable surface cleaning apparatusthat includes a suction motor, a flexible suction hose, a suction hosewrap, and a cyclone bin assembly. However, these and other portablevacuum cleaners are complex in structure and, therefore, difficult touse, maintain, and store. Hence, there is a need for a portable vacuumcleaner that is simple in structure and easy to use, maintain, andstore. Furthermore, it is desired that the portable vacuum cleaner canbe easily recharged. Also, it is desired that the portable vacuumcleaner can be used for multiple purposes. Furthermore, it is useful toprovide a portable vacuum cleaner that can be easily carried by the userduring work.

It is an aspect of the invention to overcome or alleviate a problem ofthe prior art.

This permits the use of the present invention, which enhance the priorart of the portable vacuum cleaner for easy and simple cleaning formultiple purposes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a portable vacuum cleaner.

Preferably, the portable vacuum cleaner addresses, or at leastameliorates, one or more of the problems described above. To this end,the present invention, related to a portable vacuum cleaner with someunique aspects, is disclosed.

Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention toprovide a portable vacuum cleaner that is simple in construction. Thevacuum cleaner is comprised of a housing storing a rechargeable battery,motor, impeller fan, collection chamber, and at least one filterelement.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a vacuumcleaner that is easy to use, store, and maintain. The battery and filterelements can be easily removed and replaced. The vacuum cleaner can beeasily charged. The collection chamber can be easily removed forwashing, and easily repositioned in the housing.

It is yet another objective of the present invention that the length ofthe vacuum cleaner can be extended. The vacuum cleaner can be removablyattached with one or more extension tube sections.

It is yet another objective of the present invention that the vacuumcleaner has separate attachments for multiple purposes.

It is another objective of the present invention that the vacuum cleaneris lightweight. The components of the vacuum cleaner are made ofplastic.

It is still another objective of the present invention that the vacuumcleaner is easy to carry.

Other objectives of the present invention will become apparent, fromtime to time, throughout the specification, as hereinafter related.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description, and should not beregarded as limiting.

These, together with other objectives of the invention and the variousfeatures of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed outwith particularity in the disclosure. For a better understanding of theinvention, its operating advantages, and the specific objectivesattained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanyingdrawings and descriptive matter, in which there are illustratedpreferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify various aspects of some example embodiments of thepresent invention, a more particular description of the invention willbe rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which areillustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that thedrawings depict only illustrated embodiments of the invention, and are,therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope. The inventionwill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner with extension tubesections.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner in a chargingstate.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an attachment for the vacuum cleaner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description of the present invention enablesteaching of the invention and its best, currently known embodiment.Those skilled in the art can understand that many changes can be made tothe embodiments described, while still obtaining the beneficial resultsof the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of thedesired benefits of the present invention can be obtained by selectingsome of the features of the invention while not utilizing otherfeatures. Accordingly, those working in the relevant art will recognizethat many adaptations and modification to the present invention can bemade, may be desired in certain circumstances, and are part of thepresent invention. Thus, the following description is provided asillustrative of the principle of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a simple, lightweight,portable vacuum cleaner. Accordingly, the specific embodiments discussedherein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make anduse this invention, and are not intended to represent an exhaustive listof all possible structures and processes of the present invention.

Embodiments of the portable vacuum cleaner are shown in the figures, anddiscussed below. While the structure and processes have been describedwith a certain degree of particularity, it is to be noted that manymodifications may be made to the details of the structures and processeswithout departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It isunderstood that the structures and processes are not limited to theembodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification.

Aspects of the present inventive subject matter are described withreference to the figures. The present invention provides a simple,lightweight, portable vacuum cleaner. Referring to FIG. 1, whichillustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vacuumcleaner 10 is comprised of a housing 12 containing a battery 14, motor16, impeller fan 18, collection chamber 20, and at least one filterelement 22. The housing 12 is preferably cylindrical shaped and has anon/off switch 24 to operate the vacuum cleaner 10. The battery 14provides power to motor. The battery 14 is rechargeable and replaceable.The upper part of the housing 12 forms a handle to allow a user handlethe vacuum cleaner 10 while in use. In a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, the top of the upper part of the housing 12 can beopened to remove the battery 14 from the housing 12 and slide and snap anew battery into the housing 12. The battery 14 is preferably acylindrical battery for easy insertion into and removal from the housing12. The motor 16 of the vacuum cleaner 10 is preferably a fixed motor.Furthermore, the motor 16 is a single speed motor, which works mostefficiently and cost effectively with the battery and charger (discussedbelow). The motor 16 in the vacuum cleaner 10 can be provided in varyingpower capacities, according to the need. The impeller fan 18 includesmultiple vanes. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, theimpeller fan 18 also includes rows of fins. The filter element 22 ispositioned just below the impeller fan 18 in the housing 12. The filterused in the filter element 22 can be made of any suitable material,including but not limited to cloth, foam, or fine mesh. The filterelement 22 is round or spherical to fit in the housing 12. The housing12 can be made of tube sections, which can be detached at the positionbelow the location of impeller fan 18 for the easy removal of the filterelement 22. The removed filter element 22 can be washed and slid backinto its position inside of the housing 12. This detachment feature ofthe housing 12 also allows for the easy replacement of the filterelement 22. The housing 12 can be a pressed fitting or include a taperedtube at the position of the filter element. The tube sections formingthe housing can also be threaded for easy detachment and reattachment.The collection chamber 20 is removable, and can be washed to becompletely cleaned. The collection chamber 20 is made of plastic. Thecollection chamber 20 is preferably 4-5 inches long. The collectionchamber 20 is fitted with a tube 26 that has an inner end 28 tapering toform an inverted cone inside of the collection chamber 20 to allowefficient accumulation of captured debris. The tube 26 has taper at itsouter end 30 to serve as a suction tip or point of attachment of otherelements described in detail below.

Referring to FIGS. 1 & 2, the housing 12 of the portable vacuum cleaner10 further includes a plug 32 for charging the battery 14. The plug 32in the housing 12 is preferably a rotating plug, which allows the vacuumcleaner 10 to be stored in an electric outlet upright while beingcharged. In another aspect, the plug 32 is a counter top charger orplug. In another aspect, the housing 12 can include a charging port towhich a power adaptor can be connected to supply the charge from a poweroutlet.

The length of the vacuum cleaner 10 can be extended by removablyattaching one or more extension tube sections to the vacuum cleaner 10.In one aspect, the length of the vacuum cleaner 10 can be extended byattaching only one long extension tube section to the tube 26. Inanother aspect, the length of the vacuum cleaner 10 can be extended byattaching multiple small tube sections to the vacuum cleaner 10,starting at the tube 26. In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum cleaner10 includes 2 or 3 extension tubes for achieving its maximum length.Preferably, the extension tube sections, as shown in FIG. 1, have a plugend 36 and a sleeve end 38 for telescopically attaching to each other.In one preferred embodiment, the plug end of the extension tube sectionis tapered, and the sleeve end is cylindrical. The tapering plug end ofone tube section can be inserted inside of the cylindrical sleeve end tocreate a snug fitting of the tube sections. In this manner, oneextension tube section 34 can be attached to the tube 26 by insertingthe tapering outer end 30 of the tube 26 into the cylindrical shapedsleeve end 38 of the extension tube section 34, thereby creating a snugfitting between the tube 26 and extension tube section 34. Otherextension tube sections can be similarly attached to the vacuum cleanerto create the desired length of the vacuum cleaner for easy andcomfortable cleaning without the user needing to bend. Preferably, theshortest length of the vacuum cleaner is 12 inches, and the longestlength is 32-36 inches. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, as shown in FIG. 1, the suction tip of the outermost tubesection 40 includes a soft end cap 42 made of rubber to preventscratching floors or furniture.

In one aspect, the vacuum cleaner also includes a belt clip adapted tocarry on person while doing tasks such as window washing orhousehold/commercial chores. For example, the belt clip can be used tocarry on the vacuum cleaner by a painter vacuuming a windowsill, or bymovers picking up dust. In a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the motor of the vacuum cleaner can be reversed to act as ablower for sweeping small areas. Preferably, the vacuum cleaner isprovided with attachments for additional reach or work in detailedareas, such as computer components or automobiles. One such attachmentincludes an attachment 44 with a brush at its tip, as shown in FIG. 3.Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner of the present invention is provided inmultiple colors to coordinate with home decor or even franchise colorsin commercial settings.

The vacuum cleaner of the present invention can be used as a debriscollection device designed to pick up small accumulations of waste, suchas dirt, dust lint, grass, insects, and other household litter. Thevacuum cleaner is especially useful for spot pickup in tight areas thatmay be tough to reach with conventional corded vacuums or short portablehand held devices. The vacuum cleaner of the present invention is easyto access and store, so it can be used in place of larger vacuums forsmaller regular cleanups. It is ideal for the elderly or people withlimited strength or mobility. The vacuum cleaner of the presentinvention could also be worn for use, for example, with help of the beltclip while doing other tasks that generate debris. The compactdimensions and rapid deployment capabilities of the vacuum cleaner ofthe present invention provides cleaning ease and simplicity to a user.

It is to be understood that the above description is intended to beillustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above discussedembodiments may be used in combination with each other. Many otherembodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe above description.

Whereas the construction and method have been described in relation tothe figures of the drawings, it should be understood that other andfurther modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, maybe made within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable vacuum cleaner comprising: acylindrical housing; a rechargeable battery positioned in said housing;a motor connected to said rechargeable battery in said housing; animpeller fan connected to said motor in said housing; a collectionchamber positioned in said housing; at least one filter elementpositioned in said housing below said impeller fan; a tube including atapering outer end and a tapering inner end, wherein said tapering innerend forms an inverted cone inside said collection chamber; and an on/offswitch on said housing.
 2. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim 1,wherein said portable vacuum cleaner further includes a plug forcharging said rechargeable battery.
 3. The portable vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein said portable vacuum cleaner further includes arotating plug for charging said rechargeable battery.
 4. The portablevacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said rechargeable battery isremovably positioned in said housing.
 5. The portable vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein said collection chamber is removably positioned in saidhousing.
 6. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said atleast one filter element is removably positioned in said housing.
 7. Theportable vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said housing is pressedfitting at the position of said filter element.
 8. The portable vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a tapered tube at theposition of said filter element.
 9. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim1, wherein said motor is fixed motor.
 10. The portable vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein said motor is single speed motor.
 11. The portablevacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said outer end of said tube is asuction tip.
 12. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein saidfilter element includes a filter made of material selected from cloth,foam, and fine mesh.
 13. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim 1, whereinsaid filter element is round.
 14. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim1, wherein said filter element is spherical.
 15. The portable vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein said portable vacuum cleaner is attachedwith at least one extension tube section for increasing length of saidportable vacuum cleaner.
 16. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim 1,wherein said portable vacuum cleaner is attached with at least oneextension tube section for increasing length of said portable vacuumcleaner, said at least one extension tube section includes a plug endand a sleeve end, said plug end of first extension tube section adaptedto be inserted inside sleeve end of second extension tube section forsnug fitting said first extension tube section with said secondextension tube section.
 17. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim 1,wherein said collection chamber is made of plastic.
 18. The portablevacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said portable vacuum cleaner is 12inches long.
 19. The portable vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein saidportable vacuum cleaner is 32 inches long.
 20. The portable vacuumcleaner of claim 1, wherein said portable vacuum cleaner is 36 incheslong.